Acquiring my key as a Penthouse Pet in February 2019 was a huge highlight in my career as a professional model - an accomplishment I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Much has shifted and evolved since then which I’m very excited to share with you here.
Anna Lisa on with Life
The lockdown in 2020 (due to the COVID_19 pandemic) offered me the opportunity for some much needed time to myself, and with that, I carved out a lovely home behind the camera as a self portrait artist and film photographer. The nostalgia of film has always intrigued me, and I love being able to incorporate what I’ve learned over the course of my modeling career into my photography work. My first official exhibition showcased a small collection of my self portraiture work which I shot exclusively on Polaroid film.
2021 was the year I grew my online platforms into something I’m deeply proud of. The ability to share my work directly with my fans has been incredibly rewarding on so many levels. I’m eternally grateful to everyone who has subscribed, shown support by purchasing one-of-a-kind Polaroids and offered me kind words of encouragement.
I took a short trip to Iceland in the early spring of 2022 after performing in Venice, Italy for Carnival. It had been a lifelong dream of mine to soak in the warm healing pools of the Blue Lagoon. The stark contrast between the rigid landscape surrounding the lagoon and the milky turquoise waters was incredible to experience firsthand. I would absolutely love to go back and explore more of this devastatingly beautiful landscape in the near future.
I then adopted a small dog from a rescue in July of 2023. The initial shift into being a dog-parent was a rough one, but after some time getting to know one another, the two of us became inseparable. Harper is a terrier mix with a big personality and a love for the outdoors. Her consistent need for adventure led me to make a massive life change — move out of my Los Angeles apartment and into a converted camper-van full time.
Since June of 2024, I’ve been on the road in my van I named Sylvia — my first grand adventure being the Pacific Northwest. I spent the entire summer exploring the stunning natural beauty that Washington and Oregon are known for — eating my weight in cherries, freshly foraged blackberries and raspberries. This time in nature allowed me to deepen my love and admiration for birding which has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies.
Once summer came to an end and the cooler weather began to creep in, I followed the sunshine down south. I met up with some friends to hike Mount Shasta, spent some time at Lake Tahoe and then made my way down the 395 — my absolute favorite stretch of highway I’ve traveled so far. I eventually made it to Arizona and then New Mexico. White Sands National Park quickly became one of my favorite places to stop — Harper’s too.
2025 has started off as the year that I visit friends, loved ones and chosen family all over the country. The need to connect deeply with my community has become extremely important to me while on this journey. However, the freedom that comes with living on the road is unparalleled. I’m so incredibly grateful to have this time to explore the natural wonders of this land and all the creatures that inhabit it. Along with that, my goal this year is to purchase property so that I can actualize my dream of creating an off-grid, self-sufficient homestead complete with my very own artists studio.
We did get a chance to ask a few follow-up questions this time around, where Anna Lisa continued to impress.
What kind of camera(s) do you use for your work?
My main shooter is my Leica R5 with a 50mm f/2 Summicron-R 2 lens which I use for portrait sessions with clients. For my self portraiture work, I use my Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One-Step with a MINT self timer — it has a hot pink leather finish to it which I’m proud of because I re-skinned it myself. Additionally, I have a Rollei XF 35 which I bought on a whim not knowing it had a built-in self timer. It’s quickly become one of my favorite cameras for self portraits while traveling because it’s lightweight and compact.
Do you have binoculars for birdwatching? If so what kind/brand?
I love my Leica 10×25 BCA binoculars.
Do you ever take photos of birds/wildlife in addition to beautiful little Harper?
I haven’t gotten into photographing wildlife yet, but I hope to do so in the near future. I’m truly in it for the personal enjoyment of spotting birds that I love and those I haven’t seen before.
Have you visited any additional national parks besides your favorite, White Sands National Park?
On this road-trip, I visited Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park in Washington State and Redwoods National Park in Northern California. However, most National Parks don’t allow dogs outside of camping areas — with the exception of White Sands which is why it’s one of my favorites. I tend to stick with the smaller state parks because they’re more forgiving when it comes to our four-legged-friends and are definitely not as busy during peak season. When I’m out in nature, I love to immerse myself in it as much as possible and oftentimes people can be a big distraction from that.
Last question. Did you convert the camper-van yourself or purchase it already converted?
My camper van came with a finished custom interior build-out and a full solar panel setup when I bought her. However, she needed some interior touch ups, new upper and lower ball joints, brakes, rotors, a new battery and a few other odds and ends before I was able to take her out on the road safely. I also added some personal touches like a fresh coat of paint on the interior, curtains, and custom insulated window covers which I made myself. She’s extremely cute, cozy and comfortable.
Yeah, they really should have asked if she were going to name her memoirs of this sate in her life “Sylvia Path” we think, right? Ah, well, now we have a conversation starter the next time we see Anna Lisa. Should you have missed it, Anna Lisa has a Pet Page here, but perhaps more helpful to our friend would be to pop over to her site and then joint her Patreon. We need to encourage van lives, after all, and we might as well do so with wonderful, talented people. (Although mean, unskilled people probably do not do well on Patreon, we’re guessing.)
